Homemade Gingerbread Play Dough Recipe (Such a FUN Activity!)

FREE Work Planner Sample!

I won’t send you any spam, ever. Promise!

This homemade gingerbread play dough smells amazing and is so fun for kids AND mom to play with!

Gingerbread Play Dough Recipe – Easy AND Homemade!

Laura, here!

My four-year-old is OBSESSED with play dough. It’s pretty much my secret weapon keep her entertained for hours. Add some tools and a tray and she’s golden. But, store-bought play dough can get expensive and can dry out quickly. That’s why I love this homemade gingerbread play dough! It’s so soft, smells great, and takes just 10 minutes to make! Plus, I love that it’s all food ingredients so I know exactly what she’s playing with.

Here’s how to make homemade gingerbread play dough:

Ingredients for Homemade Play Dough:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar (this makes the dough soft!)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Note: Since this dough is made of entirely food ingredients, it is technically taste-safe (meaning if a toddler put it in their mouth it isn’t an emergency), but because the flour isn’t being baked, this is not edible.

How to Make Gingerbread Play Dough

Add all your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk until well combined.
Stir together water, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a non-stick pot or pan.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Cook on the stove for 5-10 minutes until a dough forms. Don’t stir continuously – let it sit for a few moments, then stir. You’ll notice as it gets thicker and thicker. It will form a ball when done.
Remove from heat and cool.
Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until soft. Just like with homemade bread, you can add a touch of flour if the dough is too sticky or a few extra drops of oil if it’s too dry.
Have fun playing!
Wrap in plastic wrap and store in an air-tight container.

Other Homemade Play Dough Options to Try

You can make homemade play dough for different holidays or for themed activities. Make plain dough by following the recipe above but leaving out the cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla (so use only your flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, and oil).

Here are some other fun recipes or variations:

Food Coloring: Use a few drops of food coloring to make colored dough. Use what you have on hand, but gel food coloring will produce more vibrant colors.

Pumpkin Pie: Make plain dough and add 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice. This will give the orange color and smell amazing – perfect for fall!

Candy Cane: Make plain dough and divide into two halves. Keep one half white and use red food coloring for the other half. Then add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the red. Twist the two doughs together to form candy canes!

Lemonade: Prepare plain dough as normal but add the juice of one lemon to a measuring cup and then fill with water to the 1 cup line. Then add yellow food coloring until you get a bright yellow color.